


I Can Do That

by Annide



Series: Febuwhump [5]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:00:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29011662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annide/pseuds/Annide
Summary: When Carlos runs after a suspect, things turn to worse and he finds himself at the suspect's mercy.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Series: Febuwhump [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2116785
Comments: 15
Kudos: 96





	I Can Do That

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tiniestmite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiniestmite/gifts).



> Written for Febuwhump day 16: broken bones. Requested by [Jamie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiniestmite)

The suspect ran to the back of the store toward the stairs. At the start of everyday, Carlos and his partner liked to play rock paper scissors to decide who would be the one to run after people and who would stay with the witness if such a situation occurred. This morning, Carlos had lost. So there he was pursuing some low level armed robber to the back of a convenience store, up stairs that led to a few apartments, all the way up to the roof.

He thought for sure it was a done deal now, you can’t escape a roof. But his suspect kept on running and jumped over to the next building. Carlos followed, of course, his gun in hand but things going too fast for him to use it. He had a disappointed thought about how he was seeing TK tonight and he’d end up too tired from his day for what he had in mind, if his afternoon so far was anything to go from.

They’d made it to a third roof when finally the space between buildings got bigger, certainly too large to get across. That didn’t stop the robber, however. Either he was desperate or he’d done this before. Whatever it was, he didn’t even hesitate as he approached the edge of the roof and jumped, barely making it.

This was the moment when any reasonable person would’ve told him to stop and head back to the convenience store and his partner. But Carlos had come so far already and he didn’t want to quit. He ran quicker to give himself momentum and jumped over the space. He thought he’d make it to, he was so close. He had been so sure it really hurt his pride when it turned out he’d been wrong.

He clung to the side of the building solely by his fingers. Maybe if his hand had been more firmly on the edge of the roof he could’ve pulled himself up faster, but as it was he could barely hold on.

“Ha, stupid cop thought he could play hero, didn’t he?”

The robber had headed back once he noticed he wasn’t being followed anymore. At his tone, Carlos knew he had no intention to help him, only to taunt him.

“Do you need help? Do you wish there was someone here to help you up before you slip down?”

A knot formed at the pit of his stomach when he felt, and saw, the robber’s shoe rubbing against his hand. The mischievous smile slowly growing in the young man’s face as a feeling of power certainly engulfed him didn’t bode well for Carlos.

“We’re all alone up here. I could do anything and there would be no one to stop me. It’s a pretty good feeling.”

“Please, just go. Leave me alone. You know I can’t chase after you. There’s plenty of time to get away. Go.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? But you know what? I think I deserve to have a little bit of fun for once.”

“Please, I’m already in a compromising enough position, why don’t you just take the win and go?”

“I could shoot you, I’ve got my gun right here. No, that’d be too easy, and no fun at all. You know who’s always been a great inspiration for me? Scar from The Lion King.”

Carlos’ breathing hitched and his face fell. It must’ve been obvious how afraid he was because the robber laughed. He was enjoying this, he was getting pleasure out of watching Carlos being in pain and vulnerable.

“Please, I’m begging you, don’t do this.”

The robber lifted up his foot at an incredibly ominous pace, like he wanted to savour the look of fear and anticipation in Carlos’ eyes before he finally let it down hard on his fingers. Carlos wasn’t an expert, but the cracking sound felt unmistakable. At least one of his fingers, probably more, was broken, the pain too overwhelming for him to tell more accurately. He had something more important to concentrate on, however, like making sure he kept holding onto the edge with his other hand.

Carlos was frozen in fear as he stared back at the man standing over him. He had a thought for TK, and for his family, as he wondered whether he’d survive this fall, which grew more and more inevitable by the minute. He thought the robber would repeat what he’d done with his other hand, but he simply looked down at him, took in his predicament and ran off laughing.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips that he didn’t have to beg some more and didn’t have to keep hanging there with someone witnessing his struggle. It was, however, short-lived as Carlos’ fingers started slipping off the edge of the roof. With only one good hand, his options were pretty limited.

He tried his best to climb up by putting his feet on the side, but he really needed the help of that other hand who’d been rendered useless. He did everything he could up until the last second. He even screamed for help hoping his partner, or anyone else, could get to him on time. Nothing stopped his fingers from giving out under his weight as gravity slowly pulled him down. Everything passed that went blank in his memory, likely swallowed by pain and shock.

* * *

The room was dark when Carlos opened his eyes, though he could see a sliver of light coming through the blinds. According to the watch on TK’s wrist, it was right about dawn. His boyfriend had fallen asleep still sitting in the chair next to his bed, his head rested on his folded arms, and his hand extended over Carlos’. He must’ve been holding it when sleep finally took him.

There was pain bothering Carlos a little, and he knew he should be calling in the nurses to inform them he was awake. He’d been in the hospital watching over others enough times by now to know how it went, even if he’d never experienced it from this side of things. But TK looked so peaceful like this and he didn’t want to do anything that stood a chance to wake him.

He ran his fingers through TK’s hair absent-mindedly, just for something to do, and because he couldn’t resist the soothing gesture. As minutes passed in comfortable silence, memories of what led him here came back to Carlos. He became overwhelmed by that fear he’d had to die, and to never make it back to his boyfriend, to his family, to his friends.

He didn’t even notice how fast his breathing had gotten and how fast tears were spilling down his cheeks until TK climbed into the bed and pulled him into his arms. TK rubbed the back of his neck softly and shushed him, repeating again and again that he was safe and would be alright. Carlos buried his face in his chest, letting the sobs take him over.

“I’m sorry I woke you up, it’s the last thing I wanted.”

“Hey, hey, don’t worry about that. I’m here for you. And I’m happy to wake up and find you conscious.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Carlos crying as if his eyes were pouring rain and TK holding and comforting him the best he could.

“You must’ve been so worried when they called you.”

“I was, just like you must’ve been when I was shot. But this isn’t about me. How are you feeling? Are you in a lot of pain?”

Carlos’ tears finally dried out. He sniffed and tried to shrug off the amount of pain he felt, but TK wasn’t fooled.

“I’ll get a nurse.”

Before Carlos could do anything to stop him, TK was gone and the bed felt cold and empty. He came back with both a nurse and a doctor. They checked Carlos’ vitals and upped his pain meds. Then the doctor gave him the run-through of his situation. He had a pneumothorax that was treated in the field, and he still had a chest tube that would have to stay in place a few more days. Carlos’ hopes to go home were crushed and he braced himself for more bad news.

The pneumothorax was related to a few broken ribs. The doctor said they wanted to keep him here for about a week to see how he was healing and make sure his breathing was good. Carlos had also broken his leg in the fall, three of the fingers on his left hand had been broken by the robber (an information they didn’t have previously and that TK seemed horrified to learn) and he had a concussion. The doctor did say he was lucky he wasn’t hurt worse. All in all, Carlos had a good six weeks of recovery at home, before his cast could be removed and he could start physiotherapy. He wouldn’t be going back to work anytime soon.

“You will need a lot of rest. We’ll provide you with crutches when you go home so you can get around, but using them will put pressure on your ribs and lungs so you should only do it when there is no other option. By that I mean if you need to go to the bathroom or run out because your apartment is on fire.”

“That’s it? Those are the only two reasons I’ll be allowed to get up for? What if I need something like a glass of water or food?”

“Then your handsome and very kind boyfriend will get it for you.” TK smiled as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“I can’t ask you to do that, you’d have to be around all the time. This is really too much to ask.”

“I didn’t hear you ask, from where I stand it sounds like your boyfriend was offering. And not that it’s any of my business, but he was asking what he could do to help you well before you woke up. You’ve got a good one here.”

The doctor and nurse left and TK climbed back into bed with him. Carlos cuddled up close to him, careful not to put a strain on his ribs.

“I meant it, Carlos. I’m here, whatever you need. I can even recommend a good therapist if you don’t want a police department one.”

“For now I just need you to hold me and not go anywhere.”

“I can do that.”

“Good.”

“I love you, Carlos, I’m so happy you’re okay and I’m so sorry you went through all of that.”

“I’m happy about that too. And I love you too.”

Carlos closed his eyes. He was starting to feel sleepy again, surely an effect of the pain meds. He let his head fall on TK’s shoulder and dozed off with his boyfriend rubbing his back. He might be hurt and he might have a long road ahead, but he felt safe in those arms. He felt all the love and support that TK offered him and that was all he could ever need.


End file.
